Olympic Champion Imane Khelif Faces Mandatory Sex Test to Compete

Olympic champion Imane Khelif has been told she must undergo a genetic sex test before she can compete in the women’s division at World Boxing competitions. Although she won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics under IOC rules allowing passport-based eligibility, World Boxing’s new policy mandates polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to determine sex at birth. This follows earlier controversy when the previous world boxing governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), disqualified Khelif due to alleged gender ineligibility. The updated rules aim to safeguard athletes in combat sports and apply to all competitors 18 or older. While Khelif has only ever identified as female, there have been speculations about a possible DSD condition, due to the IBA debacle.

BBC